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Chillin' Wit' ... Eric Bresler, art-space director

He runs the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art, but his day off is far from dead.

EVEN ON OFF DAYS, Eric Bresler is never really off.

On his workdays, Bresler, 34, of Fishtown, is the director and curator of the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art (PhilaMOCA), which holds weekly film and music performances.

The art space, on 12th Street above Spring Garden in North Philadelphia, housed inside a former showroom for tombstones, holds more than 250 events a year.

Having devoted the early part of his Sunday to the art space, Bresler is enjoying a cherry cola at Vice Coffee, a newly opened spot a couple of blocks away.

He doesn't frequent clubs or bars or restaurants. Instead, Bresler prefers to read comic books, his only real habit, he says.

"I keep my collections in my bedroom, and I always keep it at 40 long boxes," Bresler says.

"I never go over that, because I think that's an outrageous amount as it is."

On his off days, Bresler normally wakes up by early afternoon. That's because the night before, he'll most likely be up until 1 or 2 in the morning, helping to clean up after a PhilaMOCA event that ends at midnight.

Bresler, a native of Watertown, N.Y., took over the space in the winter of 2012.

When he's not at the art space, Bresler works from home. On days "off," he'll answer emails, book shows and work on projects - two of which are currently taking up his free time.

One is Video Pirates, a collection of video oddities from the 1970s and '80s, such as low-budget videotapes and promotional films.

The other is Cinedelphia, a monthlong festival that screens films pertaining to Philadelphia. This year's festival will take place April 10-26.

Bresler, who has an avid interest in world cinema, once taught Japanese cinema at Drexel University, his alma mater.

"I can't rest," he says. "I'm constantly working on something.

- Naveed Ahsan