GET JASON HILL

PEOPLE Few people upon first seeing former street person JASON HILL- tattoos, dyed-red hair, silver nose ring gently tapping his boyish mustache-would tab him as the manager of an art gallery, let alone its savior. But to those who frequent Stout-McCourt Gallery, Jason is exactly that.

Jason, 19, helped take over the 19-month-old Deep Ellum membership gallery in December after the owner, Marine reservist BRET STOUT, was summoned to the Persian Gulf. And as Bret’s friend PAM EUBANKS, now helping with the gallery’s finances, explains, “If it weren’t for Jason, I would’ve had to shut the place down. “

After Bret was called up, there was only Pam (who has a full-time job) and weekend worker LISA CUMMINGS to keep 50 members happy, pay the bills, and feed Bret’s chow, Shogun. After Dallas artist JAMES CHARLES became irked about the positioning of his works, Pam asked how he thought they should be displayed. “Jason knows how, ” he said. Pam responded, “Go find Jason. “

Jason had been a Deep Ellum regular for five years, and he had worked at Stout-McCourt until August 1990. (Bret had hired Jason in December 1989 and offered him the gallery’s upstairs room after he noticed Jason, who had quit his job and been kicked out by his girlfriend, playing pool next door for 72 hours straight. ) When Lisa found Jason, he was a bouncer at a nearby club, again with no home, raising money to be a windsurfer in Corpus Christi. He was offered his old room and a small salary.

Jason moved back in and immediately calmed the artistic waters. “The artists were getting edgy, ” he says. “A lot dropped out [of the gallery]. I said, ’Hey, don’t leave. I’m a different person, but I’m willing to work with you. ’ And they all came back. ” Now, Jason keeps busy with promotions, hanging works on gallery walls he helped build (he learned carpentry at age 11), helping Pam with the budget, painting a bit himself, securing new artists, and getting ready for this month’s war-themed show. And although he’s “very happy here, ” he still wants to be a windsurfer-“The thing I’m best at. “