The College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam, was established in 1887 and was initially managed by the Government of Madras, and later, by the Municipality of Kumbakonam for about 80 years. In 1965, it was taken over by the Government of Tamil Nadu under the administrative control of the Director of Industries and Commerce, Madras. From 1973, the college functioned under the Director of Technical Education, Tamil Nadu, until 1990. Since 1991, it has been functioning under the Department of Art & Culture, Tamil Nadu.

The College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam, was fondly called as the “BOMMAI SCHOOL“. The School of Arts was started with a small number of students by two art lovers and enthusiasts, MOOKANNACHARI and KUPPUSWAMY IYER, at a small location on a street called IYAN street in Kumbakonam. Renowned illustrators like MALI, GOPULU, and Art Director KALAI GANGA were all products of this school of arts. In later years, many prominent principals, such as S.Krishna Rao, the eminent sculptor and great teacher S.Dhanapal, Adayar K.Sreenivasalu, L.Munusamy, Santhanaraj, Surentharanath, Vidyasankar, R.B.Baskaran, N.Manoharan and several others, shaped the institution, contributing to its development and helping it to reach its present stage.

New advanced courses of study, syllabi, hours of study, infrastructure, admissions, and faculty qualifications have been introduced in this institution following the guidelines of other art institutions in India, based on the recommendations of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the expert committee constituted by the then Government of Madras.

Teaching staff were recruited as per government norms, and their educational qualifications were regularly updated to enhance their knowledge and improve the quality of education imparted to the students.