WITH LINKIN PARK ALBUM DONE, SHINODA CONTINUES TO RAISE MONEY FOR HIS ART SCHOLARSHIP

With Linkin Park’s highly anticipated album ‘Minutes to Midnight’ nearing release, Mike Shinoda continues to raise money for his scholarship fund by selling his paintings. Back in November of 2006, Shinoda showcased his unique artwork at a Los Angeles Gallery, which allowed his fans the chance to purchase his artwork and all the proceeds went to the Michael Shinoda Endowed Scholarship Art Center College Of Design. At times Shinoda even admitted that you can find him painting backstage as a way of relieving the pressures of the road.

We caught up with Mike Shinoda recently to talk about his artwork and to get an update on the money he has raised so far for his Scholarship Fund.

“The intention of the art show, besides my effort to put some of this stuff that I’ve done in the past few years up on display, is I wanted to give some of the proceeds to my scholarship at Art Center, that’s a college design and illustration scholarship. With the stuff selling online, it’s done really well. I don’t have a bottom line figure for how much we made for the scholarship yet, that actually comes at the end of this first quarter however the stuff is still up at mikeshinoda.com. So, if you want to check out the art or if you want to support some young aspiring artist who can’t afford college then check that out.”

The video for Linkin Park’s first single ‘What I’ve Done’ which was directed once again by Joe Hahn, has already been released and the single is beginning to make an immediate impact on radio as well. Although the album doesn’t hit the streets until May 14th, fans of Linkin Park can already pre order the deluxe edition of ‘Minutes to Midnight’, which features bonus tracks and a ‘Season Pass’ to all 15 full length episodes of LPTV, which is a series documenting the bands last four years. The bands first live show in support of their new album will be May 5th in New Jersey at the Bamboozle Festival. Linkin Park will then head to Europe for May and June performing at many European Festival Dates including Rock AM Ring, Rock IM Park, Pinkpop, The Alive! Festival and The Heineken Jammin Festival. Look for US tour dates to be announced soon.