Is stand-up comedy an art form?

When comedian Craig Quartermaine applied for an arts grant to do a stand-up comedy project, the application was "deemed ineligible" because comedy wasn't on the list of accepted performing arts.Dance? Yes. Theatre? Yes. Opera? Definitely. Comedy? No.But if the purpose of art is to act as a mirror to society – to make us see ourselves, laugh at ourselves, think about ourselves – does comedy deserve a ticket to the show?