[1] The family moved to the United States when he was a child, as his father was in the Swedish diplomatic service.
Referring to then Governor Mario Cuomo's proposal for a cut of 56 percent in the budget for the New York State Council on the Arts in 1991, Oldenburg called it "extremely disproportionate, a sign of the low priority Governor Cuomo puts on arts and cultural programs in general.
"[7] When he retired in 1995, he became the museum's director emeritus and served as an honorary member of the institution's board of trustees.
[6] However, Time art critic Robert Hughes, commented: "I'm sad he's being sucked into the totally pernicious cultural influence of Sotheby's and the auction system.
[1] After his death, a selection of pieces from his art collection were sold at auction, including 20th century works by Mimmo Rotella, Roy Lichtenstein, Ellsworth Kelly, and Claes Oldenburg.