I am on a forum of advanced art quilters so that I may learn from their experience, and expertise in a certain areas. Learn how they choose their medium of choice, and how they got to where they are now.  Lately though, there has been some discussion over art quilts, fiber art, textile art, and contemporary art quilts. I have my own thoughts on these issues and I want to share them here rather than inflame or raise eyebrows on a message list.
I recently saw the "Tristan Quilt" through the images on file at at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O98183/bed-cover-the-tristan-quilt/ 
This bed cover was made between the years 1360 and 1440 and it fits all of the definitions of a quilt, yet it is considered art at a high form for it's time. To continue along that same line, keep browsing in that same catalog. Look at the "textiles", they are a higher form of art than what many of us produce today to put on our beds.
I become angry when someone tells me that my form of art is not correct based on their desires to cubbyhole the industry. Each artist is an individual doing what makes them feel good in their heart. If you are not happy doing what you are doing, don't do it.  I made my first quilt when I was four years old. My grandmother gave me scraps of fabric and needle and thread. The next year I turned it into a stuffed turtle. After that I was off and running, I have had a life long love affair with fabrics, needle and thread. Does that make me an artist, maybe, to me, myself and I, yes.
Now if you are working in fabric, fiber, textile, quilt, or contemporary quilting, you have one thing in common, with the statement I have already made. We are all working with  fibers.  To me, this is a large community and we need to learn to get along.