From Wikipedia:

"The word art derives from the Latin ars, which, loosely translated, means "arrangement" or "to arrange". This is the only universal definition of art, that whatever is described as such has undergone a deliberate process of arrangement by an agent. A few examples where this meaning proves very broad include artifact, artificial, artifice, artillery, medical arts, and military arts. However, there are many other colloquial uses of the word, all with some relation to its etymological roots."

I read this and sort of laughed at myself. I was discussing the matter of what makes "some thing" a work of "art" with two men this last Friday night. One was Columbian, the other Peruvian. One is a practicing artist, the other studied art for 3 years in Paris. And then there's me. No formal art education whatsoever. Nomad. I digress.... My point is that my argument for what makes art=art is that a human consciousnous takes materials of one type and through the application of their very humanness transforms those materials into something new. So that skill, intent, mind and body all come into play and the things which engage all those capacities qualify as art.