Hi, I'm Armistead.

I'm a visual storyteller, digital designer, nonprofit champion, family tech generalist, communications strategist, proud father, moonlighting superhero, and passionate gardener.

• NEW » Founder and Creative Strategist of production studio, Shh Collective

• CURRENT » Director of Digital Media and Community Engagement at the Grammy-nominated orchestra, Metropolis Ensemble

• FORMER » Director of Design at the American Museum of Natural History

• ALSO » Showrunner at the hit online kids show “Mondays with Mé”

Visual Storytelling for the Greater Good

Currently: I lead digital media, community engagement, and design strategy for Metropolis Ensemble, a Grammy-nominated orchestra and artist collective. I also run my own freelance production studio, Shh Collective, serving artists, organizations, and companies for the greater good.

Previously: I was showrunner and producer of the online kids show Mondays with Mé. I also produced digital communications for Trinity Grace Church, a local community based in Brooklyn, including Digital Lab (a kids show with over 350k views) and weekly live broadcasts.

Before that: I was director of design and educator at the American Museum of Natural History for thirteen years, creating digital experiences for millions of visitors; and a strategist at FiveStone, a creative agency in New York City.

What Keeps Me Excited

I have a passion for storytelling for kids of all ages and creating opportunities for meaningful family connection across generations. You can often find me with a stack of picture books (novels are for grownups), binge watching the world’s best cartoons (Bluey, Puffin Rock, Tumble Leaf, Charlie and Lola), or getting dirt under my fingernails as I cultivate perennials and welcome local birds in my backyard.

My wife Elisa and I live (and breathe) on the sleepy end of the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn with our imaginative nine-year-old son, Benjamin, energetic six-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, a twenty-gallon aquarium (filled with tetra, guppy, danio, and gourami), three generations of hostas in our backyard, and a well-loved Brio train set.

Producing Immersive Music Experiences, Creating Kids TV, and Building Community

Since 2006, I’ve led communications and design strategy for Metropolis Ensemble, an enthusiastic Grammy-nominated nonprofit that creates, commissions, and produces site-specific performances, new works, recordings, and concerts.

From 2018-2022, I was director of communications for Trinity Grace Church, a non-denominational Christian church in Brooklyn, leading through digital storytelling for kids and adults (with over 350k views and 800 subscribers to date), weekly online worship broadcast production, episodic children’s media, hospitality projects, marketing strategy, fundraising development, and office administration to serve a growing community across the neighborhoods of New York City.

I was also founding board member of Global Playground, an educational nonprofit building interconnected schools and libraries around the world; and co-director of The Haven, a para-church network of creative professionals, fine artists, and performers across New York, London, and Los Angeles.

A Love for Supporting Lifelong Education

Previously, I was a strategic associate at FiveStone, a creative agency in New York City that collaborates with innovative organizations around the world. I primarily worked alongside Matchbook Learning, a startup turning around America’s lowest performing schools; my role on the team provided a wide range of services, including narrative and social strategy, classroom user experience, digital content interaction, and professional development, and pedagogy design. My time at FiveStone was a masterclass in storytelling, strategy, purpose, and joy.

My passion to support learners of all ages with discovery and story is a common thread throughout my career. I grew up with a front-row seat and behind-the-scenes access to my teacher and principal parents, so I’ve found a way to incorporate these ideals into almost everything I do. I love seizing the opportunity to create practical, efficient, and beautiful tools and resources for educators of all stripes, both in and out of the classroom and far beyond the confines of traditional learning.

To Infinity and Beyond

For my first thirteen years in the city, I was director of design and educator at the American Museum of Natural History, wearing many hats in the Museum with visual storytelling and generational learning at the heart. I grew up and learned how to be a professional in this incredible institution. I met my wife on the front steps, proposed to her in front of the planetarium, and now we bring our kids to see the dioramas.

Every day at the Museum, I walked alongside artists, explorers, poets, and magicians, leading the charge to build a foundation of design-centered experiences across the institution. We did it all together: digital platforms, signage systems, print marketing, app ecosystems, film festivals, online graduate courses, and interactive media for kids. Our intertwined goals were to inspire Museum visitors, families, schools, donors, and neighbors who walked in past the marble columns, and to help make the exhibitions and stories of scientific exploration and discovery come to life for a global audience. I often worked alongside the executive team, advising on and supporting major initiatives and special projects, including the recently-opened Gilder Center, Explorer App, and several Hayden Planetarium shows.

Growing Up in Virginia

I grew up in the Commonwealth of Virginia, where family’s ancestors made contributions to the founding of America’s democracy since arriving in the 1690s. Just ask me about the Battle of Baltimore in 1812 if you want to hear an incredible family story…

I attended the College of William and Mary to study geology (and art history), exploring the diverse environments of the Chesapeake Bay, Blue Ridge Mountains, and American West.

During my university years, I helped launch a student-run social media startup (pre-Facebook era) with a $1M valuation, including an online campus portal, digital news publication, television channel, and the first online student election system on a university campus.