“reACT​ ​gallery​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​conversations​ ​in​ ​community”:​ ​A​ ​Rhetorical​ ​Analysis

Parker​ ​Reed​ ​wrote​ ​the​ ​article​ ​“reACT​ ​gallery​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​conversations​ ​in community”,​ ​published​ ​in​ ​2017​ ​in​ ​​The Daily,​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​awareness​ ​to​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​University’s reACT​ ​Gallery.​ ​Using​ ​techniques​ ​such​ ​as​ ​presenting​ ​information​ ​in​ ​a​ ​logical​ ​manner,​ ​including photographs,​ ​writing​ ​in​ ​an​ ​informative​ ​tone,​ ​and​ ​citing​ ​credible​ ​sources,​ ​Reed​ ​encourages readers​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.

Reed​ ​starts​ ​the​ ​article​ ​with​ ​a​ ​photograph​ ​from​ ​the​ ​kickoff​ ​event​ ​which​ ​announces​ ​the gallery’s​ ​theme:​ ​leadership.​ ​This​ ​provides​ ​an​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​the​ ​content​ ​an​ ​attendee​ ​will​ ​see​ ​when visiting​ ​the​ ​gallery.​ ​This​ ​also​ ​enhances​ ​the​ ​article​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​visual​ ​content​ ​for​ ​the​ ​reader.

The​ ​first​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​a​ ​general​ ​statement​ ​explaining​ ​the​ ​typical​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​a​ ​museum followed​ ​by​ ​how​ ​University​ ​Museums​ ​is​ ​approaching​ ​a​ ​new​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​different​ ​from the​ ​traditional​ ​viewing​ ​style​ ​of​ ​a​ ​museum​ ​and​ ​sparks​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​the​ ​content.​ ​Reed​ ​then​ ​quotes Sarah​ ​Nusser,​ ​Vice​ ​President​ ​for​ ​Research​ ​for​ ​Iowa​ ​State,​ ​increasing​ ​his​ ​credibility.​ ​Reed​ ​ends the​ ​paragraph​ ​with​ ​Nusser’s​ ​question,​ ​”How​ ​is​ ​that​ ​affecting​ ​us?”​ ​This​ ​prompts​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​to ask​ ​themselves​ ​and​ ​it​ ​serves​ ​as​ ​a​ ​transition​ ​into​ ​the​ ​interactive​ ​portion​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gallery.¹

Next,​ ​Reed​ ​uses​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery​ ​as​ ​a​ ​transition​ ​from​ ​Nusser’s​ ​quotes​ ​to Nancy​ ​Gebhart’s​ ​quotes.​ ​Gebhart​ ​boosts​ ​Reed’s​ ​credibility​ ​as​ ​she​ ​is​ ​the​ ​Educator​ ​of​ ​Visual Literacy​ ​and​ ​Learning​ ​for​ ​University​ ​Museums.​ ​Reed​ ​also​ ​ends​ ​this​ ​paragraph​ ​with​ ​a​ ​question, “I’ll​ ​always​ ​ask​ ​them,​ ​‘What​ ​did​ ​you​ ​see​ ​that​ ​made​ ​you​ ​say​ ​that?’”​ ​This​ ​again​ ​connects​ ​to​ ​the idea​ ​of​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​interacting​ ​with​ ​the​ ​artwork.²

Reed​ ​follows​ ​this​ ​up​ ​with​ ​a​ ​photograph​ ​of​ ​a​ ​people​ ​viewing​ ​the​ ​artwork​ ​at​ ​the​ ​kickoff event​ ​on​ ​September​ ​5​th​.​ ​This​ ​leads​ ​into​ ​Reed’s​ ​personal​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​the​ ​kickoff​ ​event.​ ​This also​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​location​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gallery,​ ​Morrill​ ​Hall.​ ​Reed​ ​concedes​ ​that​ ​the​ ​gallery​ ​is​ ​still designed​ ​as​ ​a​ ​traditional​ ​museum​ ​would​ ​be​ ​with​ ​display​ ​cases​ ​but​ ​emphasises⁴​ ​the​ ​level​ ​of interaction​ ​by​ ​saying​ ​the​ ​gallery​ ​“encouraged​ ​attendees​ ​to​ ​voice​ ​their​ ​own​ ​opinions.”​ ​Nusser’s next​ ​quote​ ​backs​ ​this​ ​up​ ​by​ ​counting​ ​on​ ​the​ ​attendees​ ​participation.³

Now,​ ​Reed​ ​explains​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.​ ​This​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​way​ ​this​ ​display is​ ​different​ ​from​ ​typical​ ​museums.​ ​Viewers​ ​are​ ​able​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​post-it​ ​notes​ ​with​ ​their​ ​thoughts​ ​and feelings​ ​concerning​ ​the​ ​artwork.​ ​Reed​ ​uses​ ​this​ ​to​ ​showcase​ ​the​ ​unique​ ​quality​ ​of​ ​this​ ​gallery​ ​and encourage​ ​the​ ​reader​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​his​ ​own​ ​article.​ ​Reed​ ​also​ ​mentions​ ​that​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​podium available​ ​for​ ​people​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​and​ ​how​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​scholars​ ​have​ ​commentary​ ​featured​ ​throughout the​ ​gallery.​ ​Reed​ ​defines​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​scholars​ ​to​ ​be,​ ​“any​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​student,​ ​staff​ ​and/or​ ​faculty member,”​ ​and​ ​further​ ​encourages​ ​students​ ​to​ ​interact​ ​by​ ​pointing​ ​out​ ​that​ ​“any​ ​scholar​ ​is​ ​eligible to​ ​submit​ ​their​ ​opinions​ ​on​ ​a​ ​specific​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​art.”

The​ ​last​ ​photograph​ ​in​ ​this​ ​writing​ ​shows​ ​a​ ​man​ ​playing​ ​improvised​ ​pieces​ ​on​ ​his saxophone​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​artwork​ ​in​ ​the​ ​gallery.​ ​Reed​ ​uses​ ​this​ ​as​ ​a​ ​visual​ ​cue​ ​for​ ​the​ ​various ways​ ​this​ ​gallery​ ​encourages​ ​viewer​ ​participation.​ ​Reed​ ​follows​ ​the​ ​photo​ ​by​ ​quoting​ ​Aspen Pflanz,​ ​Education​ ​Intern​ ​for​ ​University​ ​Museums.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​third​ ​source,​ ​Pflanz​ ​further​ ​increases Reed’s​ ​credibility.​ ​Being​ ​the​ ​last​ ​quote,​ ​Pflanz​ ​also​ ​adds​ ​another​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view​ ​for​ ​how​ ​the gallery​ ​is​ ​different​ ​from​ ​other​ ​museums.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​transition​ ​from​ ​the​ ​persuasive​ ​writing​ ​to​ ​the informative​ ​writing,​ ​Reed​ ​includes​ ​September’s​ ​theme​ ​with​ ​a​ ​little​ ​summary.​ ​He​ ​ends​ ​the​ ​article with​ ​two​ ​informative​ ​paragraphs.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​has​ ​the​ ​end​ ​date​ ​for​ ​the​ ​“Leadership”​ ​gallery​ ​and​ ​the galleries​ ​for​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​school​ ​year.​ ​The​ ​second​ ​paragraph​ ​has​ ​the​ ​hours​ ​of​ ​operation​ ​and concludes​ ​with,​ ​“The​ ​event​ ​is​ ​free​ ​to​ ​attend.”​ ​This​ ​last​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​the​ ​final​ ​hook​ ​to​ ​attract students’​ ​attention​ ​and​ ​persuade​ ​them​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.

Parker​ ​Reed’s​ ​article,​ ​“reACT​ ​gallery​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​conversations​ ​in​ ​community”, sparks​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​Iowa​ ​State​ ​University’s​ ​campus​ ​gallery.​ ​By​ ​presenting​ ​information​ ​in​ ​a​ ​logical manner,​ ​including​ ​photographs,​ ​writing​ ​in​ ​an​ ​informative​ ​tone,​ ​and​ ​citing​ ​credible​ ​sources,​ ​Reed informs​ ​and​ ​encourages​ ​students​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​the​ ​reACT​ ​Gallery.

---

Reflection

¹Here, I would revise this last sentence: By comparing the reACT gallery to traditional museums Reed prompts the reader to reflect on their previous experiences with museums. This builds a connection between Reed and the reader. This question also serves as a transition into the interactive portion of the gallery.
²Instead of saying, “This​ ​again​ ​connects​ ​to​ ​the idea​ ​of​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​interacting​ ​with​ ​the​ ​artwork.” I have revised this paragraph to conclude as follows: This question connects the quotes back to the idea of the reACT gallery integrating the viewers. Reed also uses this as an opportunity help explain the purpose of the gallery.
³My revision here is to add on: Nusser’s quote not only builds credibility, it reinforces the idea that the reACT gallery is worth noticing. By including Nusser stating, “It isn’t a place where you come, look, say ‘That was nice’ and walk away,” Reed is able to provide logical evidence as to why readers should visit.
⁴emphasizes