Identity area
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Authorized form of name
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
Helen Signe Bentley was born in Cicero, Indiana. She attended school in Iowa and went to Iowa State, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Art in 1936 and a Master of Science in Applied Art in 1940. Helen began as a school teacher, eventually becoming an instructor at the University of Minnesota in 1940. Her and her husband moved shortly afterward to Canada, shifting from Saskatoon to Edmonton as they followed university careers at the University of Saskatchewan and then the University of Alberta. After settling in Alberta, Helen became an instructor in Interior Design as the Banff School of Fine Arts, as well as an instructor in Clothing and Textiles at U of A. She would eventually attain the rank of Associate Professor at U of A until her retirement in 1971.
Helen and her husband traveled widely, visiting Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Sudan, Pakistan, and regions in the African continent. Helen herself was active in a number of professional associations, including the Edmonton Weaver's Guild, Home Economics Associations, the Canadian Craftsmen's Association, and the American Craftsmen's Council. She was the president of the Saskatoon HEA and Chairman of the Education Committee of the Canadian HEA, and eventually president of the Alberta HEA.