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Studio-MLA Founder Mia Lehrer Elected to the National Academy of Design Class of 2025

New York, NY — November 7, 2026 — Studio-MLA is proud to announce that founder and president Mia Lehrer, FASLA, has been elected to the National Academy of Design’s Class of 2025, joining 26 distinguished artists and architects from across the United States.

Celebrating two centuries of design leadership by artists and architects, the National Academy of Design remains one of the nation’s most enduring cultural institutions. Under the leadership of Executive Director Gregory Wessner and Board President Wendy Evans Joseph, FAIA, the Academy honors creative leaders whose work expands how we see, shape, and care for the world around us.

Mia Lehrer’s election recognizes her influential contributions to the field of landscape architecture, where she has long championed research-based design as a force for environmental stewardship, cultural resilience, and social necessity. Through Studio-MLA’s practice, she has shaped some of the nation’s most transformative public and private projects, including the Los Angeles River Revitalization, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, San Francisco’s Levi’s Plaza revitalization, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, as well as Eaton Canyon, where Studio-MLA is leading rebuild efforts following the January 2025 fires, and Puente Hills Landfill Park, where Lehrer and her team are remediating and redeveloping the second-largest landfill in the country into a 142-acre park for the Los Angeles region.

“I so appreciate this honor to join the National Academy of Design alongside such inspiring peers,” said Mia Lehrer. “This recognition underscores the importance of landscape architecture as a catalyst for healing and transformation in our cities. It reaffirms our belief that design can connect communities to nature, culture, and one another in meaningful ways.”

As the 200th anniversary class of Academicians, these 27 individuals join the more than 2,400 artists and architects elected to the National Academy since its founding in 1825. Academicians span from early masters such as John James Audubon (1833) and Frederic Church (1848) to modern visionaries like Mary Cassatt (1915), Georgia O’Keeffe (1926), Frank Lloyd Wright (1941), and Charles and Ray Eames (1960), continuing through influential figures including Philip Johnson (1963), Christo (2011), Maya Lin (1994), Walter Hood (2011), and Jeanne Gang (2012).

As part of the Class of 2025, Lehrer is the sole landscape architect joining an extraordinary group of peers including architects Stephen Cassell, Chris T. Cornelius, Matthew Kreilich, Julie Snow, Kim Yao, Adam Yarinsky, and artists Tacita Dean, Sheila Hicks, and Rose B. Simpson, among others.

“We are thrilled to welcome this extraordinary class of twenty-seven artists and architects as members of the National Academy of Design as we celebrate our 200th anniversary,” said Gregory Wessner, Executive Director of the National Academy. “Their diverse and groundbreaking work reaffirms our enduring commitment to honoring innovation and excellence in contemporary art and architecture.”

Lehrer’s induction reflects her lifelong dedication to improving quality of life through landscape architecture, advancing design’s role in creating thriving and resilient cities.

To learn more about the National Academy of Design’s Class of 2025, visit nationalacademy.org/perspectives/2025-academicians.
See the full list of National Academicians here.

About Studio-MLA
Studio-MLA integrates landscape architecture, urban design, and planning to connect people, communities, and the environment. With studios in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the firm’s work is guided by the belief that landscape has the power to shape a more resilient and just future.

About the National Academy of Design
Founded in 1825, the National Academy of Design celebrates and supports American artists and architects through exhibitions, public programs, and the election of new Academicians. Its mission is to promote creativity and honor excellence in the visual arts and architecture across the United States.