Running Head: GENRE ANALYSIS

Genre Analysis
Jaqueline Sotomayor
RWS 2 Mondays 4:30 p.m.-5:50 p.m.
Professor Aarin Walston
University of Texas at El Paso
February 26, 2016

GENRE ANALYSIS

Introduction:

The two genres that will be used in the genre analysis matrix are the El Paso
Museum of Art brochure based on the most recent exhibition being held, and the El Paso
Museum of Art website. The creators of the genres are perhaps the graphic designers
hired by the museum owners-- which according to the website, the claim is that this
institution is owned by the city of El Paso. The primary topics of the two genres are the
exhibitions and events being held at the museum. Inclusively, both the website and the
pamphlet display the organizations involved with the museum that are working in
collaboration with this establishment. Another similarity in the genres is the
advertisement of workshops pertaining to each audience they are attracting: family, teens,
and adults. Through the use of different genres, the El Paso Museum of Art portrays a
strategic use of rhetorical devices that entail the type of public space that it is, as well as
the audience it is targeting.
Audience and Purpose:

The intended audience and discourse community ranges in the members that it is
made of. Some workshops that are held are reaching out to younger audiences, such as
teenagers, or kids. Other workshops are aimed at attracting families. Some are aimed at
adults, which would then be inferred to bringing in donors, being that this group is
understood to be more financially stable. The audience already knows that they could
find a wide range of different art styles. The audience might want to know about the artist
who created the art, which is why some works include short autobiographies of the artist

GENRE ANALYSIS

and for what purpose they created their art work. The audience could also be interested in
what the art being created reflects about todays culture and society.
Additional to whom the targeted audience is, and what their interest may be, the
information provided by the genres is crucial in how it contributes to the process of
expanding their audiences. For the website, the audience could spend anywhere from 3045 minutes exploring. In contrast, the brochure might take the audience about 10-15
minutes to go through. The purpose of the genres is understood to inform the audience
about what is found at the museum, along with what it has to offer. The purpose of the
genres is also to persuade audiences to go to the museum. Another common goal of the
mediums is to attract donors for the museum.
Aside from the amount of time the audience will spend on the genres, and the
purpose behind them, literary devices are used to attract a variety of people. The language
is presented as both formal and informal. In regards to the workshops, lectures, and
programs, the language is a bit more informal. As far as when it comes to the exhibitions,
the language becomes formalized. The specialized vocabulary is used with certain
expectations of who their audiences are. Another interesting feature of the vocabulary the
genres use, is that they are both offered in English and Spanish. Also, there are a couple
terms that are understood to be specific to the art world; an example of these terms is the
term silkscreen and relief printing. There are other language features such as the text that
is used for the brochure and website, being that it is legible. However, the text on the
website is considered more legible than the one in the brochure. Some audiences, such as
older audiences may find the font in the brochure to be too small and crowded. On the
other hand, the font and colors of the website make it easier to follow. Altogether, it is

GENRE ANALYSIS

graphically set up to where everything is very visible to their audience, with a clean and
organized style.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos:

Both genres establish their credibility with the audience through the use of several
methods. For instance, the website has the logos very openly displayed in the home page, for two
organizations that are known nationwide, and have credibility of their own. These two
organizations are the Blue Star Museums, and American Alliance of Museums. A similar method
used by both is in including the logo for the El Paso Museum of Art, and also in giving credit by
referencing the artist of any art displayed in the genres. Finally, both genres list names of
contributors to the museum. As for the pathos that the genres establish, there is an emotional
appeal that the genres are attempting to evoke through their use of imagery and colors. The
emotions that are projected from this strategy are in creating a sense of excitement, or even
curiosity from their audience. Visually, both genres have very bright colors that could to an
extent try to result in achieving the feeling of happiness. Also, the website and brochures are
clean in appearance, which could give the audience a sense of comfort, being that it is easier to
find what they may be looking for.

Structure and Delivery:

The information is very well organized. The brochure has a listing of all the lectures,
talks and programs. In the middle page there is a listing of organizations that the museum is
paired with. The last page has information regarding the current exhibition. The website is

GENRE ANALYSIS

organized in a similar manner. There are three images in the home page that have links to
take the viewer to see the special events, the exhibitions, and collections of the museum. The
home page also includes the museum hours, contact information, and an address. This
information is strategically placed where it is visible to the audience to present the museum
in a much more established manner. There are not any noticeable limitations on the
information on the website. Instead, the way in which it is set-up is easy for any user to
follow. However, the brochure has a couple limitations. One of them is that for older
audiences, the text might be too small for them to read. Another limitation is that there is no
information on the collections of the museum, and no information on the hours, location, or
contact information. For the website, the structure facilitates its purpose by making it easy to
find any information one may be looking for.

Conclusion:

The two genres used for this assignment are the El Paso Museum of Art website and
brochure. The goal or purpose of the genres is to both attract more visitors, having a large and
diverse audience, as well as to possibly attain more donors. The genres are attempting to bring in
a younger crowd to the museum by offering workshops for kids, and teens. I think the website is
a much stronger genre, and is more effective in its communication to the audience. There is so
much more information offered in the website than there is in the brochure. It is also very easy to
follow the links on the website, and it is very clear where you can go to find what you are
looking for. In my opinion, the website appeals to larger audiences. I really liked how this

GENRE ANALYSIS
website is structured, and how they use images, and colors to speak to their audiences. For
example, under the section of special events, there is an image of children working on
something, which says something about the message that they are trying to communicate.
Conclusively, the stronger genre of the two is the El Paso Museum of Art website.

GENRE ANALYSIS

Bibliography:
El Paso Museum of Art. City of El Paso. 2016. Retrieved from:
http://www.elpasoartmuseum.org/

El Paso Museum of Art brochure. Knot: The Art of Sebastian. 2016.