Quote - You know,  I'm still trying to convince some of my artist friends that digital art is art!

Oh yeah.
I've never concerned myself with the "art" thing, because I just don't consider myself an Artist, and have NEVER claimed to be one TTBOMK.  I'm just a tech, with maybe a (very) little artistic vision.
A while back i was helping to put together 3D models for a fanfilm, and to give some idea of scale I used a kaylee morphed figure that I grabbed over at Daz forums (it's pretty good, BTW).
I posted a few renders up to the Top Secret Project Site without comment except for "this is the 3D set i'm working on, with a Kaylee figure for scale".
Within 24 hours I had 3 diatribes from 3 different project members complaining of my posting crap poser art, why poser was in every way inferior to everything else ever created, and I shouldn't call myself an Artist. My replies, pointing out that I never called myself an artist or that what I posted was "Art", elicited even longer diatribes.
I've seen this attitude a lot, ever since Poser Pro.
My opinion is that an Artist is an Artist, regardless of the medium. Someone who is not an artist is not an artist, regardless of the medium. Artistic ability and mastery of your tools results in Art.