AMA News: June 2025 Newsletter
01. New York Fashion Workers Act: Best Practices
Effective June 19, 2025, the New York State Fashion Workers Act (“Act”) establishes new labor protections for models, aiming to address long-standing concerns in the fashion industry related to transparency, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions. While the law primarily regulates model agencies, it also imposes certain legal responsibilities and operational considerations on clients that engage models in New York.
Why This Matters for AMA Members
AMA members need to be cognizant of when they could qualify as a Client under the law, as they may be held liable for labor violations related to delayed payment, unsafe working conditions, or other non-compliant practices.
Esther Grace Law has created a Best Practices for AMA Members that is now available on our website at the link below.
02. MoveOn Petition: Stop Unlicensed AI Training
In the coming week we will share our petition to Protect Artists' Rights and Stop Unlicensed AI Training.
We are asking lawmakers to protect artists, photographers, illustrators, and other creatives from the unauthorized use of their work in training artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
We are calling on legislators to:
- Require explicit consent for using copyrighted works in AI training
- Enforce fair compensation for artistic work/creative content
- Reject any attempts to preempt stronger state protections with weak federal standards
Once live, we will ask our community to share far and wide. We are stronger together.
03. Announcing - AMA Conversations
Introducing AMA Conversations: Real Voices. Real Stories.
We’re excited to launch AMA Conversations, a new blog from the Artist Management Association that puts our community’s voices front and center. This space allows members and partners to share lessons learned and personal perspectives from inside the creative industry.
Read our first post: “Working Through Grief: Showing Up While Falling Apart” by Mary Dail, a powerful essay on navigating personal loss while continuing to lead.
These conversations are meant to spark dialogue, offer support, and inspire connection.
Do you have a story, idea, or experience to share? We’d love to hear from you.
04. Looking for Volunteers
AMA Members,
We’re excited to invite you to participate in a roundtable (One hour via Zoom) in the coming months that we’re hosting with the Josephine Herrick Project (JHP) and we hope you’ll consider volunteering your time.
This roundtable will offer students in JHP’s photography programs a chance to hear directly from working professionals about what it takes to build a successful career in the creative industry. We’re looking for AMA members who can share their perspective on the industry and highlight the wide range of creative and production roles that exist in addition to being an artist
Since 1946, JHP has provided free photography programs in underserved communities with a mission to amplify underrepresented voices through photography, giving people the tools to see differently, communicate across cultures, and advocate for themselves and their communities.
Led by professional photographers, their courses, workshops, and exhibitions help connect participants with the world through the power of visual storytelling. JHP programs reach veterans and teens who are new to the U.S., young people with diverse learning needs, and youth and adults in underserved communities throughout New York.
If you’re interested in volunteering for this roundtable, please connect with Jenn below for more information.
05. Copyright Alliance: Call to Action
Email Congress and the President
Say 'No' to Unlicensed AI Training!
It’s anticipated that the White House will issue an AI Action Plan sometime in mid to late July. The Copyright Alliance wants to make sure plan is favorable to YOU and the rest of the creative community on issues related to AI training.
Your Voice Matters, It's Time to Take Action!
Please email both the President and your members of Congress to urge them to protect creators from the unlicensed use of their works by AI companies. The Copyright Alliance has already drafted the letters that you can use "as is" or feel free to customize. You can find both letters at the Take Action link below.
Send a Letter to the President and to Congress After you send the letters, please also help Retweet/Repost our current messages on this campaign. We need to spread the word like wildfire so that the voices of the creative community cannot be ignored. Here are posts by the Copyright Alliance:
Twitter (X)
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
Bluesky
Thank you for taking action and be sure to share this with your artists and community.
06. Copyright Artificial Intelligence Report
The U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright Artificial Intelligence Report
The U.S. Copyright Office has released a three-part report series exploring how copyright law applies to artificial intelligence. These reports respond to growing concerns from creators and rights holders about how AI systems use copyrighted content.
Together, these reports provide critical insight into how current law applies to emerging technology and what it means for artists and creatives.
You can find these reports on our website at the link below.
07. Summer Schedule
The AMA will be working this summer to update our resources and website. During this time we will have fewer newsletters, roundtables, webinars, and in-person events.
We'll be back in mid-September with new roundtables, webinars. and in-person events.
If you have suggestions for updates to resources or new resources you'd like to see, please let us know at the link below.
If you need anything during this time please contact Jenn below.
07. Hiring?
Don't forget that the AMA has a job board where top-notch industry professionals in many areas regularly check for opportunities.
The Artist Management Association is visited by 17,000 unique visitors every year, and one of them could be your next indispensable hire!
