Everyone is aware about the fact that wealthy Italian merchants and nobles were patrons but little do people know that patrons supported arts.
The role of patrons was to support arts, arts of all kinds were the responsibility of patrons, therefore the profession required someone from a wealthy family.
As in those times the arts was not for everyone, the poor were not encouraged for the arts, hence the arts became a hobby only for the wealthy people.
Although, times have changed and the case is not the same now. Everyone is encouraged for to take up arts as a profession or as a source of education.
But in those ages patrons would only enroll the children from wealthy family only and not from some low class family.