How can the Church become a patron of the arts again?

Back in the day, the Church was (arguably?) the predominant patron of the arts, hence all the art with a religious flair.  So what happened?  Okay, actually I’m not that interested in exploring that question.  The question I want to explore is:  how does the Church become a patron of the arts again?

I must admit I’m a limited-government conservative, which means I’m not too keen on government funding of the arts.  What I am a huge advocate of is support for the arts by private individuals and organizations.  (I’ve got a column on that somewhere – I should track it down…)

So, peoples, what are some practical ways that the Church – both in terms of local church bodies and in terms of the people that make up the Body of Christ – can function as a patron of the arts?  Please post any and all ideas in the comments below.