Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Mario Rios’ paintings have graced the walls of the Colorado State Capitol, SUNY Fredonia and the Museum of Art Fort Collins. But his most ambitious project yet is also the most exclusive, on view only within Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, where Rios is serving a life sentence without parole.
Over the last seven years, Rios has transformed the hallway of the prison’s mental health wing into a floor-to-ceiling mural. Titled “Metamorphosis of Change,” the mural is inspired by the story of Frankenstein’s monster.
Rios, 47, has been incarcerated for 19 years. The mural has been a work-in-progress for more than a third of that time. The artwork, he said, is a source of pride, an opportunity for reflection and a chance to connect with other incarcerated people.
“I took somebody’s family. I took somebody’s friend. I reflect on that daily, and that’s what pushes me every day to help people,” Rios said. “It’s not enough just to exist in prison for me. I need to thrive.”
Read the complete story at rmpbs.org/news
Produced by Chelsea Casabona and Carly Rose.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: bit.ly/3zeF6Ch
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Mario Rios’ paintings have graced the walls of the Colorado State Capitol, SUNY Fredonia and the Museum of Art Fort Collins. But his most ambitious project yet is also the most exclusive, on view only within Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, where Rios is serving a life sentence without parole.
Over the last seven years, Rios has transformed the hallway of the prison’s mental health wing into a floor-to-ceiling mural. Titled “Metamorphosis of Change,” the mural is inspired by the story of Frankenstein’s monster.
Rios, 47, has been incarcerated for 19 years. The mural has been a work-in-progress for more than a third of that time. The artwork, he said, is a source of pride, an opportunity for reflection and a chance to connect with other incarcerated people.
“I took somebody’s family. I took somebody’s friend. I reflect on that daily, and that’s what pushes me every day to help people,” Rios said. “It’s not enough just to exist in prison for me. I need to thrive.”
Read the complete story at rmpbs.org/news
Produced by Chelsea Casabona and Carly Rose.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: bit.ly/3zeF6Ch
------------------------------------------------------
Follow Rocky Mountain PBS on our other platforms, too.
• Newsletter: rmpbs.org/newsletters
• Facebook: facebook.com/rmpbs
• Instagram: instagram.com/rmpbs
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/rocky-mountain-pbs
