The husband and wife team who owns and operates UP – Healing, Wellness, Adventure announced on Facebook that they were suspending operations.
Dave Giacomin and Erin McNamara said they had lost their lease on the studio space on the second floor of 8083 Georgia Ave., largely due to pandemic-related restrictions and the economic slowdown.
“As our country continues the road to recovery, for which we are grateful, nonetheless we are pained to acknowledge that due to circumstances far beyond our control, UP is being forced to take this painful step,” they wrote.
The two are regrouping and looking for new space while still liable for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan the couple took from the Small Business Administration.
In the meantime, they are asking supporters to join a campaign to contact elected officials, especially U.S. Reps. Jamie Raskin (D–8th District) and David Trone (D–6th District), asking that Congress convert these loans to grants, as has been done for other aid programs.
“As much as we cherish it, our physical space, our brick and mortar, does not define who we are,” the two wrote. “UP is a community of our teachers and our clients.
“We have always known this truism, but it was even more evident during the pandemic. We felt your support and connection even when you were not setting foot inside our sacred space, our studio.”
Graphic from UP Facebook page