James Stephen Antonie

James Stephen Antonie of Winston Salem, North Carolina passed away peacefully on May 7th, 2025. James was born in 1945 to Felix and Grace (Gauthier) Antonie and was raised in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. He remembered his childhood fondly, and enjoyed recounting stories about delicious perch dinners, Aunt Rose’s poppy seed torte as well as playing the accordion for his beloved aunts and uncles. It was also in these early years when James started to discover his innate artistic abilities and love for art making. James was an artist with unwavering dedication to his artistic expression. He was playful, yet determined, and had a monklike commitment to expressing his ideas and philosophies through multimedia images, paintings, photographs, and sculptures. 

James found inspiration in the world around him; his camera always ready, his sketchbook always within reach, he never left a walk without a stick or rock. He had an insatiable curiosity and found meaning, magic, and beauty in the songs he heard, the books he read, the flowers that bloomed, and the fish that swam by…he was a student and a teacher of the world and was devoted to sharing his perspective and appreciation of it through his art. James’s journey as an artist started with a love of drawing and watercolor painting. He painted landscapes, portraits, and the family windows every Christmas. 

In high school, James received a Scholastic Magazine Art Award which gave him the confidence to pursue his passion. He continued his art education at Layton School of Art, where he would meet lifelong friends and then earned his MFA at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He proudly participated in the Whitney Museum of Art Independent Study Program, where he gained mentorship and support from the community of program organizers and resident artists. James went on to teach at the University of Arizona where he helped found Intermedia, one of the earliest interdisciplinary art programs in the country. His work then took him to Los Angeles, Pennsylvania and finally to New York City. In New York, he expanded lifelong art projects including The Micro Gallery, Planet Micro, and The University of Utopian Direction (U of UD). New York is also where he found a divergent, yet adjacent and meaningful career as a security supervisor for the Museum of Modern Art. James felt incredibly grateful for his time at MoMA. He worked at the museum for 22 years and was endlessly inspired by the art and community around him. He loved telling stories about his experiences there, a favorite story of his was shaking Paul McCartney’s hand. That day he went home and immediately made an art piece about it called “The Hand that Shook the Hand”. That’s who James was, he took life experiences and immortalized them through art. 

James also felt deep appreciation for his time at the museum because it is where he met his wonderful wife of 33 years, Monica. Together they carved a colorful and rich life for themselves in the city, Brooklyn, and later in Chester, New York. In 2022, James and Monica moved to Winston Salem, North Carolina to be closer to family. They spent their final years celebrating grandchildrens’ birthdays, sharing many joyful holidays, and exploring the natural beauty that North Carolina had to offer. It was truly a special time in James’ life, as he had the comfort of familial support, love and companionship. He will be deeply missed by all of his family. James is preceded in death by his parents, Felix and Grace and wife, Monica Antonie. He is survived by his sister Marcia Robbins, his son Nikolai Antonie and his daughter-in-law Courtney Kotsionis, as well as two grandchildren, Aviva and Rhodes. Additionally he is survived by his niece Andrea and his nephew Zachary and their lovely families as well as his nephew Rico. 

There will be two services in honor of James; one in Winston Salem, NC and one in Riverhead, NY. The Winston Salem service will be held on Sunday, May 25th at Salem Funeral & Cremations located at 2951 Reynolda Road. An hour long visitation will be held at 3:00 PM followed by a service at 4:00 PM. Local New York services are pending.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Trellis Supportive Care, 101 Hospice Ln, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103. Please visit their website at https://www.trellissupport.org/content/ways-giv