I think you'll find that many of those who have made the move to art quilting, are not as young as you may think. Lots of us started out as traditional quilters and simply got bored after years of following the rules. It has been not so much a jump as an evolution, albeit a speedier one for some than others, for the artists and audiences alike.
As k3n mentioned, the skills gained through traditional quilting are invaluable and serve well as a foundation for the exploration that is art quilting. I also think that background is why art quilters are apt to be far less critical of traditional styles.