I think Steemit has a lot of promise as far as being able to even out that "rewards curve" a bit... one of the reasons I put our gallery on Steemit, under a separate account.
There has to be some way that artists and art lovers alike can come together in mutual support (other Steemit "guilds" have done it) to help artists supplement their incomes and exposure to the world. I know we already have at least a couple of dozen artists who are quite successful sharing their work here, along with "in process" shots of what they do... if that's doable individually, why not as a "network of support" as well?
I think it's also important because one of the trends in art is more towards "experiencing" rather than "owning," so end sales aren't necessarily the be all, end all for artists anymore. At our gallery, we see it in terms of lots of smartphone photos... OK, so rather than frown on that; let's develop ways where the artists are rewarded before the canvas (or whatever) goes on the wall.