What is the point of art criticism?

Do art critics have a point any more? Can they contribute anything to the development of art? For a long time I've ducked this question. If you'd asked me any time over the past few years, I'd have replied that criticism does not seriously influence art. It has its own justification, however, as literature. If literature seems a pompous word, let's say entertainment. The appetite to read about art is almost as insatiable as the need to look at it; the critic provides a service that gives a chance to talk, think and tell stories about art and artists. Maybe it doesn't have any impact on art but it does occupy a place in the culture. That's what I would have said, until recently.