There are large numbers of people capable of generating some kind of artistic output, but not able to make a living doing so. In accordance with a power law-type distribution, there is also a very tiny number of artistic people who are fantastically wealthy.
Today’s invention is a simple process by which the successful artists can help spread the economic benefits in their common ‘industry,’ and support the development of new work -without having to make charitable donations.
Famous person X can simply help compile the works of unknown persons Y,Z etc (ie the ones they like best) and use celebrity to sell much more of Y and Z’s output than would ever occur otherwise. This would be marketed as “X’s favourite contemporary poems” (or paintings, or pottery). It’s more about creating proteges, rather than patronage. In this case the celebrity benefits mostly from the PR value of being seen to support their fellow creatives.
Somebody else has now come up with something similar
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/04/branded-artist-apps/