Colette Bangert was born in 1934 in Columbus, Ohio. She received her BFA from the Herron School of Art and Design, majoring in painting and lithography. She received her MFA from Boston University. Along with traditional mediums, Bangert is known for her series of "algorithmic drawings" she made with her husband at the University of Kansas. A computer was used to "plot endless simulations of the kinds of drawings and paintings that Colette was creating by hand in her studio." Her work has been shown all over the country and has been reviewed by Time and The New York Times.