Was this the same guy who thinks all quilters are little old ladies? lol

I vote for both.

Comment. It seems like often when I read about professional quilters, quilt designers etc, it seems like many of them have started out in a different art discipline. And, many seem to have graphic design backgrounds.

I am jealous that your are at a place where you can go back to school and study something you obviously enjoy.
Good luck, enjoy yourself!

I guess it makes some people feel important to disparage anything they don't know much about. You didn't say what your response to him was, but I hope he didn't make you feel any uncertainty about your choice.

Quilting the way I do it is more of a hobby, just done for relaxation and to pursue a little creative impulse. But living in the Houston area, I have had the opportunity to see many of the world's most exquisite quilts over the years, and there is no doubt whatever that some quilters are artists of first rank, and many create quilts that are artistic and unique, in many cases intended only for display as art work. A person who thinks of a quilt merely as some old traditional craft done by following simple, uncomplicated traditions hasn't seen the half of it, and anyone who does creative work could be improved by more knowledge and a broader exposure to different ways with fabric, color, texture, tools and techniques.

Not my usual style of poetry but I hope you enjoy...

Quilting is:
A passion screaming to be expressed.
A picture in my minds eye waiting to be seen.
History woven in mystery passing down from one generation to another and on into the future.
My avocation, my joy, my gift to share with others.
Love you can wrap some one in to give comfort and courage.
A piece of myself I give away freely.
Time spent alone in contemplation and time spent with others in collaboration.
Learning, teaching, listening, designing, refining, beginning, ending, finishing and completion.
An explosion of color or shades as muted as a whisper.
Quilting is me, quilting is we...who are quilters.

I would say it depends on YOUR perspective. I tend to think from what you say that it is a vocation. There are just folks out there that just don't get it. They don't appreciate the vision, cost, and labor that goes into making a quilt. I remember going to a high school reunion and when I told them I was a catering director their response was but what are you really going to do? That's just not a real job! I was working for Intercontinental Hotels at the time, and didn't that a fair assessment. My daughter is in college now, and bless her heart she wants to be a politician! Now is that a hobby, or a vocation?
I hope you see my point, there will always be people who question what we think and do. Fortunately, the world is made of many people and none of us are alike, so do what fulfills you, what makes you want to get out of bed and tackle the project at hand.

Both, along with a couple of very important reasons you left out (I hope not purposely). It is to keep someone warm and protected from drafts especially at night. Plus to give comfort by it's feel or color/pattern. And during times of financial hardship (like nowadays & during the 30s Depression) to sell or barter for something badly needed.

I have done all the above (except being alive during the 1930s-I was not born yet).

Copying anything can become a craft. Creating anything original can be an art. Whether or not an original work is considered truly artistic is usually decided by a qualified judge. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We all love to make quilts, some of aspire to be fabric artists. Some of us actually become fabric artists and our quilts hang in museums; but we all create. But if we were to say all quilters were artists it would be like saying all seamstresses were fashion designers.

Hmmm good question! To me, quilting is an expression of one's self. No matter if you follow a pattern or create something unique. Each quilt has a bit of the person who made it in it. Some quilts have love, tenderness and warmth, while others have a touch of sadness. I say neither! A quilt is a extension of ourselves, it tells a story... perhaps a story of the long past relative we hold dear in our hearts and was made from their clothes, or a collection of memories from the t-shirts we once wore, or perhaps a moment in time, a brief glimpse of happiness that we recalled when we saw that particular pattern and just had to make it. Or, it is the time spent thinking of that someone special (or not so special.. hehehe) that was thought about as the colors, patterns and while the pieces came together to make one. I say a quilt is something all into it's self... OK I think I went a bit to deep for myself LOL

it is both and neither require a degree...save your hard earned money to travel to the shows, museums and galleries before they are all closed due to lack of funding....