Jenifer Lewis, 65-year-old actress, received a handmade individual painting from Atlanta artist Jerrell Gantt on November 1. In a video posted to Facebook, the “Mother of Black Hollywood” was in Gantt’s city for a Stacey Abrams campaign when she was given a personal gift from the artist in front of a camera.
The caption of the video read, “Met the amazing Jenifer Lewis, the mother of Black Hollywood. You know her for her roles in Sister Act, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Girlfriends, Blackish, What’s Love Got To Do With It etc. She was so surprised to see me,” Gantt continued to talk about the experience of having an idol be familiar with his work, “She’s seen my work online and stated how much she loved it. We sat for a moment, and she was so encouraging to my craft and my journey,”
Lewis even said that she’d been wanting one of Gantt’s pieces, “I’ve been telling my people to find you,” She admitted.
In the video, Lewis responded jovially during the receiving of the gift. She first asked if Gantt was an Atlanta native and then continued, “This motherfu****. Oh my God!”
Jerrell Gantt was born in Washington D.C, before moving to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, according to his Facebook. Aside from his piece for Jenifer Lewis, Gantt consistently posts paintings of prominent Black figures as a celebration of their accomplishments.
