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Three children in the back seat of a car, all asleep
Three little girls with blond curly hair sleep in their car seats. The car seats spread across the entirety of the back seat of the car. Through the back window, the road stretches into the distance, with a speck of what may be a car near the horizon. The highway is divided by a stretch of grass. A tractor trailer and van are traveling in the opposite direction. An onramp is in the left side of the image, but no other cars are joining the one carrying the three sleeping girls.

Grandma's Cozy Car

Jamile Shirley
Winner Rank
1
Artist Statement

This photo was taken after a long family weekend. My mom (AKA: Grandma) and I (Aunt) drove my little nieces (L-R) Cora, Thea, and Eva several hours home from a family wedding. The five of us had not been on the highway long when we noticed the backseat chatter was suddenly quiet. I twisted in my seat to see the green, flat Iowa farmlands in the background and a pile of sleeping nieces in the backseat of my mom's old car. The photo captured here tells the story of family, life in small-town Iowa, dirty feet, and love.

My three nieces asleep in the backseat of my mom's car.

Job Title
Collection Specialist
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