Michael Klein, the curator of Microsoft Corporation’s collection of contemporary art, spoke to a full room of both students and non-students in Driscoll Center Thursday night.

Klein’s speech was part of the Leo Block Lecture Series, which brings speakers to the University of Denver every year to speak about topics related to a particular part of the DU curriculum. This speech was set up through the School of Art and Art History.

Leo Block, the founder of the Leo Block Lecture Series, was in attendance at the lecture, but did not speak.

In his speech, Klein discussed the Microsoft Corporation’s art collection, the artists in the collection and the history of the collection.

After Klein’s speech was over, there was a short video showing an example of a large-scale artwork that was installed in one of the Microsoft buildings. This was followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer period.

Microsoft began collecting art in 1987 in order to decorate the corporation’s office buildings, of which there were only six. In the beginning, the collection included nothing but prints on paper by local artists.

In 1995, when Microsoft became a success with the release of Windows 95, the art collection committee was able to branch out its collecting and hire a curator.

In 1998, Klein was working in New York City as a gallery owner and was offered the job as the curator of the collection. He accepted and has been working there ever since.

He describes his position as “a job you would love to have, because you’re spending other people’s money.”

The collection has grown since it began in 1987. Now, there are over 3,000 pieces in the collection, spreading throughout all of Microsoft’s many office buildings. The artists included in the collection come from over 30 countries, including the United States, Italy and England.

According to Klein, the goal of the collection committee is to collect the works of emerging and mid-career artists, rather than famous, established artists whose works would already be featured in museums.

These artists’ future works become more valuable in the market after being featured in the Microsoft collection, states Klein.

He says that he tries to “go after things that aren’t being talked about at the moment.” The collection does include a couple of works by well-known artists, however.

“Sometimes I break the rules,” Klein says.

The collection includes works in multiple media. The collection committee focuses on paintings, sculptures, works on paper, prints and studio glass.

The committee tries to collect works created during or after the mid-1980s, but nothing from before when the committee was created.

There is some artwork that has computer-drawn elements, but there are no entirely computerized works.

According to Klein, “the workers get enough of staring at screens.”

Artists are not allowed to simply walk into the Microsoft offices and present their artwork. Klein and the committee go out to art showings to look for new talent and get names from contacts in the art dealership world.

Klein says that “the thrill of the hunt” is one of the best parts of working on the committee.

The artwork is shown three times a year in art shows, which are only open to employees of Microsoft. Parts of the shows are online and parts are in galleries.

There are no shows open to the public, but there are some examples of the artwork in the Microsoft collection available online at www.Microsoft.com/ Mscorp/artcollection.