In this artwork, how is the Description discussed?
The life size statue depicts Peterson sitting on a bench at a piano, smiling, and includes a space for visitors to sit next to him. 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". The piano has 97 keys as opposed to the 88 keys on a standard piano, and is based on an Austrian piano that Peterson favoured. Abernethy intended the extra keys to represent a "metaphor for his musical inventiveness" as Peterson was a "...man who asked to reimagine the piano". Abernathy had previously created a sculpture the Canadian classical pianist, Glenn Gould, situated outside the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto. The statue cost $300,000 and was funded by private donations. Major donors included Allan Slaight's charitable foundation, Fred and Anne Ketchen of Mississauga, the Toronto-Dominion Bank and the Mayor of Mississauga's Foundation for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
Toronto-Dominion Bank Toronto Glenn Gould Allan Slaight Ruth Abernethy Canadian Broadcasting Centre