I don't think so... at least, not inherently. Anything can appear exclusive if it "raises the bar" for participation. There's two sides to this -- the "insiders" can relate to the outsiders as being truly separate and unworthy, or the outsiders can consider the insiders to be elitist and bigoted -- either of those ways of holding the issue will produce cliqueishness. But this doesn't mean we should do away with all forms of participation "filters" for activities. It points to how we hold those filters. The correct way to hold them is in an "ego neutral" way: I am qualified to participate in certain activities because I meet the criteria needed for competence in those areas. There are other areas in which I don't meet the criteria for competence. Neither of these define my identity, they're just neutral facts about me. The same is true for others, of course. Some of us are able to engage in intellectually challenging conversation about art, and some are not. I would classify myself more in the "not" category -- I have little knowledge of art. But I'm not bothered by those who do, and who find the topic of great interest and are able to speak of things I can't see. If I felt that was a threat to my ego, I'd take a good look in the mirror rather than accusing them of elitism.