[5] Kelly Fearing, Dickson Reeder, Bror Utter, Lia Cuilty, Bill Bomar, Cynthia Brants and others would meet at Helfensteller's to work on their art.

[6] These weekly meetings were an opportunity for the artists to discuss art, listen to music, and borrow Helfensteller's printmaking press.

After the group separated, Helfensteller moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1947,[8] where she opened a candy shop,[1] taught and painted.

As a member of the Fort Worth School, she was one of the Texas Modernists, whose works were influenced by American Regionalism, European Cubism and Surrealism.

[3] Her works had been largely forgotten until gallery owner Dutch Philips discovered some of her letters at an estate sale.