He went on to earn a degree in education from Tennessee State University and a master's degree in fine arts from the University of Louisville. Ridley made history, as he was the first person of any color to receive this degree at the University of Louisville.

Ridley’s lengthy career includes teaching at several universities, including Alabama State University, Grambling State University, Tennessee State University, Fisk University, and City University of New York, where he served as the University's museum coordinator. Ridley also served as artist-in- residence at Morehouse College from 1995-96. In his capacity as guest curator at Tennessee State Museum, Ridley organized the critically acclaimed exhibition "Visions of My People: African-American Artists in Tennessee."

In one of the artist’s public commissions, Ridley created a series of panels honoring Alfred Stieglitz, collector and purveyor of modern art; his widow, painter Georgia O'Keefe, who donated the Stieglitz Collection to Fisk University. Ridley's work is the private collections and that of several museum institutions.

"A Story of Nashville," one of the artist’s latest works was created for Nashville's new, state-of-the art public library. “Inside the Grand Reading Room, a series of 80 hammered copper repousse’ (frieze) panels, integrated within the tops of the bookshelves, forms a linear story of Nashville's history from its pre-settlement period to the present day. This project represents the largest number of pieces in a major work by the artist to date, and its historic journey promises to become a legacy for Nashville and its residents.” "Greg Ridley enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the arts which earned him honors as a painter, sculptor, and teacher. But his highest acclaim came later in his career for his mastery of metal arts, especially copper friezes. Three of his copper repousses will be on exhibit along with his final work, Tuzar (The Pyramid), an acrylic on paper painted in 2003. "