The eternal debate that acting is or is not art often hinges on the commercial aspect of the project, and even in that context it is hard to define.
If one is to qualify acting as an art based on whether or not the artist is to be paid, then the same would hold true for a painter or sculptor who sells their work. Just because you are being paid to act does not preclude you from being an artist.
Actors are artists, but only when the creative skills they draw upon reflect the actor’s unique interpretation. Acting on a theater stage can be defined as art, whereas acting in a television commercial would probably not meet the requirements of “fine”, but no one cares today. Art is Art!
Actors need a measure of autonomy in order to express what they feel, and if they do not have this “artistic” freedom, it would be hard to argue they are artists.
The iAD encourages actor artists to take a written work and mold it to their own interpretation.