To me, this parallels the idea from the series Warehouse 13 that each of their show's artifacts is empowered by some kind of mystic/psychic connection to their creator or primary user. The sheer number and variety of items dealt with in the series, and the series concept itself, could work well as a campaign focus.
Could, sure. But understand that you'll have to balance two things -- the 'level' of psychic intensity required to empower an Artifact, and the desire of the players to 'induce' their own. While this idea could be useful/workable, I'd suggest something
slightly different.
Make them one of several teams that act as Arleesh's 'Watchers'. We know she's slipping through the shadows around the world, acquiring certain ancient artifacts and destroying them; perhaps she could give the PCs a massive databank codelocked to a specific item (terminal or otherwise), and only certain information can be dispersed. The PCs are expected to keep their eyes open, search for the things during their own downtimes, and accept any and all runs she gives to them in order to find / acquire / destroy such things. They can take other runs in between, but they become Arleesh's 'company men', Watchers, however you want to put it. She becomes their Patron.
If you happen to be running this in a 'timeline' campaign starting 'back when', it becomes particularly interesting if Arleesh 'loans' the PCs to Hestaby during the Challenge across 'Survival of the Fittest'...
This, actually, is what the very first Shadowrun group I was in basically was -- we encountered Arleesh during Bottled Demon, and kept up contact with her, did just this sort of thing. It's mentioned here and there in ooold stuff; look for commentary on the 'Lord Knights' ...
