Art & Finance question: Are there still "Patrons of the arts" or is that not really done anymore?

I’m an artist, and I wouldn’t mind being financed , or even just suppoerted creatively by someone with the means to do it. It would be fun to be some rich patrons “discovery” and be introduced to the right people to further my career , and get to do some specially commissioned work. I know this used to happen with some artists in the past. But is it just a crazy fantasy in today’s culture and financial climate?

I’d like to hear opinions on this of course. BUT any real-life stories of something along these lines would really be quite interesting :)