After graduating cum laude from Syracuse University in 1995 with a B.F.A. degree in illustration, Liz Van Verth moved to Brooklyn, NY. Soon after arriving in the city, she established a position in network news at NBC. After demonstrating excellence in learning and implementing digital technology, Liz progressed from still graphic artist for the Nightly News to 3-D animator for Dateline.
Much of her commercial work encompasses reenactment and medical animation as well as freelance design for clients that include MTV, Manhattan Transfer, Inc., Team V Creative and Writers and Readers Publishers. In 2005 her animation was featured in the Pratt Manhattan Gallery show, "Cut and Construction," demonstrating a complicated dress pattern by Madeline Vionnet.
In May 2007, Van Verth received an M.F.A. degree with distinction and honors in outstanding merit in digital arts from Pratt Institute. Her thesis animation "Par Avion" won best concept at the Pratt Show. It has screened at the Brooklyn International Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, NYC ACM SIGGRAPH METROCAF, San Francisco Women’s Film Festival and Kansas City Filmmaker’s Jubilee.
Today, Van Verth continues to create freelance commercial animation as well as her own personal work in her spare time. In 2009, she participated in Art Sounds at KCAI with musicians from the Pangea Piano Project, Blas Gonzalez and Ya-Ting Liou. She also hopes to help promote and feature animation and technology more prominently in the Kansas City art community. Her main focus, of course, is to teach digital animation and technology to her students and help them pursue the many diverse career opportunities in animation.