Art and Culture are intertwined. In order to preserve the traditional Tamil Arts and Culture for a noble cause and to carry the art of Music, Drama, Dance, Painting, Sculpture to the younger generation through Music and Fine Arts Institutions, to co-ordinate and implement various cultural schemes for the development of artists involved in such arts, a separate department namely the 'Department of Art and Culture' was formed in December 1991.

The various Government cultural organisations and art institutions that were functioning under the administrative control of different departments were brought under one umbrella. The Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram functioning under Public Department, the Tamil Nadu Ovia Nunkalai Kuzhu and Tamil Nadu Jawahar Siruvar Manram functioning under the Tamil Development Culture Department, the Government Music Training Centres functioning under the Education Department, Government College of Arts and Crafts and Government College of Architecture and Sculpture functioning under the Directorate of Technical Education were also brought under the control of this department.