Ina Klaassen

Ina Klaassen was born in 1969; Dutch Wikipedia gives her date of birth as 31 August 1969. She studied audiovisual art at the Minerva art academy in Groningen and art and art policy at the University of Groningen.

From 1998 to 2001 Klaassen was policy adviser for arts and culture to the municipality of Stadskanaal in the province of Groningen. Jan Willem van de Kolk, then a councillor there, later recalled her as sparkling and full of energy, and remembered that she argued for paving on the Europalaan to be chosen with art in mind rather than from stock. After three years she left for a post with the municipality of Rotterdam.

From 2011 to 2013 she was director of the Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam's art academy. In 2013 she joined Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen as business director (zakelijk leider). In 2019 she joined Sjarel Ex in a two person directorship, and after Ex left in 2022 she took overall charge of the museum, responsible for both its business and its artistic direction.

As business director she was closely involved in the development and construction of the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the mirror clad storage building that lets the public see the museum's collection in store. NRC described it as the first publicly accessible art depot in the world, and under her leadership it became an international attraction. She was also the driving force behind the renovation and renewal of the main museum building, closed since 2019 and scheduled to reopen in 2030, creating the business, organisational and financial conditions for the project and attracting major private gifts, including a large pledge from the Droom en Daad foundation.

In May 2026 it was announced that she was seriously ill and had stepped down from her work with immediate effect. Sandra Kisters, the museum's director of collection and research, took over as acting director.

Klaassen kept her private life out of public view. In announcing her death, the museum said its thoughts were with her family and loved ones. Colleagues described her as committed, principled, decisive and strong, with an eye for the people behind the museum as well as for art.

Ina Klaassen died on Sunday 11 October 2026, aged 57, after a period of serious illness. Her illness had been made public in May 2026, and the specific cause of death was not disclosed. The place of death was not reported.

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen announced her death on its website the same day. Acting director Sandra Kisters said that Klaassen had worked for the museum with complete dedication and a strong sense of responsibility, and Jurgen Stegmann, chair of the supervisory board, said the board was proud of her and remembered her with great respect. The Rotterdam city executive said, as quoted by the AD, that the city had lost a fine person with a big heart for art, culture and Rotterdam.

Klaassen was the fourteenth director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Her legacy is bound up with the Depot, which became one of Rotterdam's architectural landmarks and a model for opening museum storage to the public, and with the renovation of the main building, for which she helped assemble the funding and organisation. The city's citation for De Rotterdammert said her work had a lasting impact on how Rotterdam presents itself as a city of art and culture to residents, visitors and the international cultural world.