[2] His forebears (originally spelled Fürchtgott) moved from Central Europe in the late 19th century to the United States in 1864, eventually settling in Charleston (as well as Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida).
Having undergone a difficult process to be recognized as a Vietnam-era conscientious objector, Furchgott was required to return to South Carolina to complete two years of public service.
He taught as an arts and crafts instructor at the South Carolina Habilitation Center in Ladson, SC; a facility for developmentally disabled children and adults.
During that same period, he helped to start and was the first director of Furthur, Inc., a nonprofit organization that began and operated the Charleston Hotline, which he continued to direct for the following year.
In late Spring of 1995, Furchgott served as the visual art director of Spoleto Festival USA[12] featuring, among other exhibitions, Japanese Contemporary Clayworks, and 20th-Century American Sculpture at the White House.
Since its creation, IA&A has coordinated more than "800 exhibition presentations at nearly 500 museums and cultural institutions in all 50 states and numerous foreign countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
[17] Subsequent to the beginning of the Traveling Exhibition Services department, Furchgott began a Cultural Exchange Program[18] within IA&A to allow for training and internships for foreign students and graduates in performing and visual arts institutions.