Depends....usually I consider it my beloved hobby, and I mostly make quilts that fit in this category...soft, cuddly, made with love for a specific person.
Occasionally I make a quilt or a wallhanging or some such that is made specifically for entering in a show, and then I go into "artistry" mode.
So, yes, it depends. I don't think I would go to college to get a degree to apply to it, but I do take quilting classes to learn skills that I would not use for a general use quilt, but would for an artistic quilt.