The statue was intended to depict Peterson as if he had just finished playing and had turned toward his audience.

The statue is made from bronze, and was created by the Canadian sculptor Ruth Abernethy.

Abernathy said the statue was designed so that Peterson was "...very accessible to people who love him and that is an unabashed set-up to just have a moment with Oscar".

Abernethy intended the extra keys to represent a "metaphor for his musical inventiveness" as Peterson was a "...man who asked to reimagine the piano".

[3] An outdoor concert was held by the statue in August 2015 to celebrate Peterson's 90th birthday.