Ouachita Stories

About 14 years ago, Little Rock artist Charles Fogle came to Ouachita and held an art exhibit in Hammons Gallery. This spring, Fogle passed away but he donated a majority of his artwork to Ouachita’s art department.

“He told me he had never received such a warm welcome as he did on Ouachita’s campus,” said Raouf Halaby, professor of Art and Design and English. “He was so deeply touched by the manner in which Ouachita students responded to him and by the professional courtesy extended by the art faculty.”

Fogle’s daughter, Rebecca Bohannon, did not know about the sizeable donation her father wanted to give Ouachita until she read his will.

“I was surprised,” Bohannon said. “My father had gone to Little Rock Junior College and my brother and I both graduated from UALR. He displayed his art often at UALR so I thought he would have left his works there.”

Included in the donation were 24 of Fogel’s original works, $2,000 worth of books, a slide collection with over 1,000 slides, art supplies for students, awards, transaction receipts, contracts, preliminary sketches, professional correspondence, journal entries, original illustrations and numerous solo and group show catalogues.

The most substantial part of Fogel’s donation includes 300 signed and numbered original prints of one of his watercolors.

“To honor Charles’ memory, we hope to sell these prints to raise funds for the Charles Fogle Art Scholarship,” Halaby said. “If we can sell all 300 prints, then we will be able to provide $30,000 worth of scholarships.”

Halaby said he was “blown away” by Fogle’s generosity, especially by the prints and the artworks.

“There’s a big difference between these original artworks and mass produced prints one buys at Hobby Lobby,” he said. “Fogel was a truly fine artist. There is no doubt that he was an acclaimed water colorist whose work was recognized regionally.”

Bohannon is pleased that her father’s artwork will go to the benefit of young artists at Ouachita.

“My father had a heart to teach others about art,” she said. “I think it is grand that there will be a scholarship in my father’s honor. The slides and prints are a great way to generate revenue for the art department. It makes me really proud.”

The archival materials will be housed in Riley-Hickingbotham Library and will be available for scholarly research.

In addition, there are still 60 works of art that Bohannon and Matthew Fogle hope to eventually loan to Ouachita on a long-term basis. These would be displayed in classrooms, conference rooms and offices on campus.

“When director of planned giving John Cloud introduced me to Charles Fogle 14 years ago, I was very impressed with his personality and with his determination,” Halaby said. “Even though he was a paraplegic, he did not allow his disability to limit him professionally or socially. There was something uplifting about Charles’ facial expression. He seemed to always have a serene smile, a positive outlook, a zest for life and a passion for art.”

Fogle’s late wife Barbara was an accomplished musician and was a member of Ouachita’s Friends of the Fine Arts.

“They had a truly unique artistic partnership,” Halaby noted.

Halaby said he is excited about the way this donation will impact art majors at Ouachita and is grateful for Fogel’s legacy to them.

“You never know the impact you have on someone,” Halaby said. “A mere encounter led to a solo show and a lecture which morphed into a lifelong friendship. He was a great role model who touched the lives of students in a very meaningful way. The artist, Charles Fogle, stepped out of the canvas and became real to the students who saw his work and got to hear him speak so passionately about his journey as an artist. While Charles’ death was the end of one legacy, his donation is the start of another.”

By Allison Cornell, Signal writer